Photonic crystals, interconnect layers of semiconductor components and micromechanical elements drive the demand for three-dimensional patterning of elements in the field of microelectronics. Conventionally lithographic methods are used for producing three-dimensional structures, which methods involve producing the semiconductor elements layer by layer using different masks. In this case, firstly a photoresist (resist) as radiation-sensitive material layer is applied to a carrier (substrate) and exposed by a first lithographic mask. This is followed by a chemical development step, in which the illumination pattern produced in the course of the preceding exposure in the photoresist is transferred into a physical structure in the photoresist. In order to achieve a three-dimensional patterning, the abovementioned steps, namely the application of a photoresist layer, the exposure of the layer and the subsequent chemical development, are typically to be repeated a number of times using different lithography masks. This method can be very complicated and hence time- and cost-intensive.